08.18.20

Hoeven: FAA Selects UND for UAS Collegiate Training Initiative

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Committee, today issued the following statement after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) selected the University of North Dakota (UND) to serve in its Unmanned Aerial Systems Collegiate Training Initiative (UAS-CTI) program. The UAS-CTI program was established by Congress under the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, which used the model of the agency’s existing CTI program to help ensure the U.S. can meet demand for UAS operators and support the integration of this technology into the national airspace. More information can be found on UND’s website here. 

“UND is a world-class aviation school and plays a significant role in the nation’s UAS ecosystem,” said Hoeven. “It makes sense for the FAA to rely further on UND to meet the workforce needs of this quickly growing industry. That’s exactly why we authorized this program through the 2018 FAA reauthorization, and this selection builds on our state’s role as a hub of UAS research, development, training and operations.”

Today’s announcement follows Hoeven’s Air Traffic Controller (ATC) Hiring Reform Act of 2019, bipartisan legislation he introduced with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) that was passed as part of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The senator’s bill enables FAA to prioritize the hiring of veterans and graduates of FAA CTI schools, including UND, to help address the shortage of qualified air traffic controllers. 

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